---
title: Gold River secondary suite and carriage house rules
question: "Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Gold River?"
place: Gold River, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/gold-river
category: Building, renovating and your property
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Gold River
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/secondary-suite/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/secondary-suite.json"
---

# Gold River secondary suite and carriage house rules

**Question:** Can I add a secondary suite or a carriage house in Gold River?

**Short answer:** In Gold River the Zoning Bylaw permits secondary suites in the CD1 zone, and one accessory dwelling unit in the R-L and R-R zones. A building permit is required to build one. It does not name carriage houses or garden suites, so ask the Village if you want a detached unit.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Gold River, https://goldriver.ca)  
**Cost:** Building permit fees apply; see the building-permit-fees answer. No separate suite fee is stated.  
**How long:** Not stated by the Village.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Hall, 499 Muchalat Drive, Gold River, BC V0P 1G0 (Office hours are not stated on the Village's website.)
- Phone: Village Hall, 250-283-2202

## Key facts

- **Secondary suite allowed:** Secondary suites are a listed permitted use in the CD1 Comprehensive Development zone (s. 20.1.8). In the R-L Low Density Residential zone and the R-R Rural Residential zone, one accessory dwelling unit is permitted, which may be a manufactured home; the R-M2 zone allows single family dwellings with or without an accessory dwelling.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 20.1.8](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "20.1.6 - home occupations 20.1.7 - manufactured home 20.1.8 - secondary suites 20.1.9 - service buildings 20.2 Conditions of Use"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 6.1.6](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "6.1.6 – One accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 9.1.1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "9.1.1 – single family dwellings with or without an accessory dwelling"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coach house or garden suite allowed:** The R-L and R-R zones permit one accessory dwelling unit, defined as 'a building, or part of a building' secondary to the primary dwelling, which may be a manufactured home. Coach house and garden suite are not named.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 2.0 "Accessory Dwelling Unit", ss. 6.1.6, 7.1.8](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "means a building, or part of a building, that:" … "6.1.6 – One accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Limits:** A secondary suite is a complete living unit with its own kitchen, sleeping area and washroom inside another dwelling; the two units make one real estate entity that cannot be stratified. R-L and R-R zones allow one accessory dwelling unit per lot. No size limit or owner-occupancy rule was found.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, Definitions](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "“Secondary Suite”" … "means a complete living unit with its own kitchen," … "cannot be stratified or otherwise legally separated"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 6.1.6](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "One accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Parking:** Two parking spaces per unit for a single family dwelling, duplex, rowhouse or townhouse. No separate suite requirement is stated.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.13.2](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Single family dwelling," … "2 parking spaces per unit"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permits:** A building permit is required to construct or alter a building (Building Bylaw s. 8.1). The Village's package says new residential construction, including adding a secondary suite, must meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Step 1 of the Zero Carbon Step Code, with other 2024 BC Building Code items.
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005, s. 8.1.1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Bylaw-No-651-2005-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a building permit before constructing, repairing or altering a building or structure;"
  - Source: [Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish, Application package, p. 3](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Building-Permit-App-Pkg-Fillable.pdf)
  - Official wording: "For new residential construction, including the addition of a secondary suite:" … "Must meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Step 1 of the Zero Carbon Step Code"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025; Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, Title](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "VILLAGE OF GOLD RIVER ZONING BYLAW NO. 761, 2025"
  - Source: [Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005, Title](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Bylaw-No-651-2005-Building-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The Village of Gold River's [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) lists secondary suites as a permitted use in the CD1 Comprehensive Development zone. The R-L (Low Density Residential) and R-R (Rural Residential) zones permit one accessory dwelling unit, which may be a manufactured home. The R-M2 zone allows single family dwellings with or without an accessory dwelling. Other zones were not found to list a suite.

The bylaw defines a secondary suite as a complete living unit with its own kitchen, sleeping area and washroom inside another dwelling. The two units are one real estate entity and cannot be stratified. It defines an accessory dwelling unit as a building, or part of a building, secondary to the primary dwelling. It does not name coach houses or garden suites, so whether a detached unit is allowed is not stated.

## Steps

1. Check your lot's zone with the Village (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Apply for a building permit; one is required to construct or alter a building.
3. Plan for energy rules: the Village's package says adding a secondary suite must meet Step 3 of the Energy Step Code and Step 1 of the Zero Carbon Step Code, with other 2024 BC Building Code items.

## Good to know

- Parking: the bylaw requires two spaces per unit for a single family dwelling, duplex, rowhouse or townhouse. It does not say whether this applies to a suite as a separate unit.
- No size limit or owner-occupancy rule was found in the Zoning Bylaw.
- Whether a development permit is also needed is not stated; call 250-283-2202.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
- [Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Building-Permit-App-Pkg-Fillable.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Gold River building permits: when you need one and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/building-permit.md)
- [Gold River zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Gold River building permit fees](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/building-permit-fees.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Secondary suite and carriage house rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/secondary-suite.md)
- [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/secondary-suite.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/secondary-suite.md)
- [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/secondary-suite.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/secondary-suite.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/secondary-suite.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/secondary-suite.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Building Bylaw No. 651, 2005 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Bylaw-No-651-2005-Building-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Building-Permit-App-Pkg-Fillable.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/village-hall/contact/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Gold River. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/secondary-suite/_